February 28, 2015

Donated truck will help with safety and efficiency - By Michelle Libby

Soon the Windham Fire – Rescue Department will be putting
a new to them 2012 Ford ¾ ton truck into service. The truck that is being
lettered and striped, will go on the road as soon as possible.

Last June, Kaile Warren and his longtime partner Donna
Leith approached Chief Charlie Hammond about donating money to pay for a
service truck for the Fire-Police division of the department to carry the
cones, road barricades and other necessary equipment to block off roads.

Historically the Fire-Police have always carried the
barricades and cones in their own vehicles and trucks.

“Fire-Police are responsible for Traffic Control at
emergency scenes. They are available to both the Police and Fire Departments.
Up until now they had to respond with and carry their assigned equipment in
their own vehicles. They often have had to leave their own vehicle running on
scene for hours to provide warning lights and temperature control,” said Chief
Brent Libby.

According to Warren, the purchase of a new van for this
purpose was going in the municipal budget for next year.

“It was inconvenient and lacked efficiency,” he added. “I
looked at how I could make a donation that would make the town more efficient
and safer.”

Soon after Warren offered the $20,000 donation, Toby
Pennels was in the accident that eventually took his life.

Warren said he had offered the money “long before I ever
thought about jumping into the State Senate race at the very last minute. I had
asked Chief Hammond to keep this under wraps during the campaign, because I did
not want the wrong impression, and he did.”

Warren considers this a different type of donation, and
said that most people consider donations of land or to non-profits. He
recommended purchasing a used truck to save the town money. The truck that was
purchased has 25,000 miles and was bought at Yankee Ford.

“I think it is important for people to consider what
their towns need when thinking about gifting. This gift saves Windham Taxpayers
$20,000 and it improves the overall efficiency of the fire and rescue
operations. One of the most important factors in an emergency is securing the
site to protect workers and the public in general. Getting traffic under
control is an important process, one that will now be done more easily,” Warren
said.

“While they will still need to use their own vehicles for
some of the response’s this vehicle will be able to handle many of the calls as
well as carry the needed equipment to properly close a road and set up detours,”
Libby concluded. “We are so appreciative for the donation!”